Lin Xiao Returns

Three days after Zhao Shi left, the tension in the mine had not yet dissipated.

Mo Chen squatted by the stove, tapping and tinkering. Shen Moxin, along with Su Yan and Li Wangye, cleared the side passage. Lu Qinghe went out to buy groceries as usual. Lu Yuan was in the innermost cubicle, scribbling charcoal on parchment.

In the afternoon, a muffled thud came from the cave entrance.

It wasn't Su Yan and the others; their footsteps were heavy and somewhat dragging. Nor was it Lu Qinghe —his father would cough first when he returned.

Lu Yuan's fingers paused.

In the main area of the cavern, Mo Chen's ears twitched, but he didn't look up. Shen Moxin walked out from the side passage, still holding half a wooden stake in her hand. Su Yan and Li Wangye stopped moving stones and stared blankly into the shadows.

Footsteps approached.

Light, fast, landing almost silently. The intervals are even, like a cat stepping on leaves.

A leg stepped out of the shadows. The deerskin boots were dusty. Then the whole person emerged.

He was tall and slender, with long arms and a narrow waist. His short hair was neat and his wheat-colored skin gleamed faintly in the dim light. The faint scar on his left cheek was still there. His amber eyes quickly scanned the area—the wooden stakes, the stone platform, the clutter, the black stove—before finally settling on Lu Yuan.

His mouth parted into a grin, revealing his canine teeth.

"Interesting," Lin Xiao said.

The voice was straightforward, but a bit deep.

Lu Yuan stood up and brushed the charcoal ash off his hands. He wasn't too surprised. Lin Xiao had said he would come back.

You're back?

"Hmm." Lin Xiao nodded, his gaze still taking in the place. "This place... is more decent than I expected. I thought you guys were really holed up in a cave eating dry rations."

Mo Chen glanced up, squinted, snorted, and continued grinding the iron sheet. Shen Moxin pushed up her glasses, her eyes knowing—she had heard Lu Yuan mention this "troublesome friend." Su Yan and Li Wangye were completely stunned; just from that aura and those faintly vertical pupils in his eyes, they knew this person was no ordinary individual.

Lin Xiao didn't care at all. He walked a few steps to Lu Yuan, took something out of his pocket and handed it to him.

A hexagonal, dark metallic token. The edges are worn, and the texture has a faint sheen.

"I went back and checked." She got straight to the point, speaking quickly. "I also visited several ancient sites recorded in our family history. This thing is indeed related to our family, but it's very strange."

Lu Yuan took the token and ran his fingertips along its cool surface.

"The family's secret vault contains scattered records mentioning an ancient tradition called ' Land of Lightning Strikes, '" Lin Xiao licked his canine teeth. "But the details are vague, scattered, as if deliberately obscured. I flipped through several dusty animal hide scrolls, piecing together the information: this tradition is extremely dangerous, requires specific conditions to unlock, and is related to a ' Key.'"

He pointed to the token.

"The patterns match a section of the tattered rubbing. But no one in the family has mentioned it publicly, and I doubt even those old folks know the whole picture." Lin Xiao paused, his eyes sharpening. "The Thousand Needle Stone Forest ruins, the stone platform, the grooves, the raging turbulent flow of Soul Power... I think that place is very likely an unrecorded outer node of the ' Land of Lightning Strikes '."

The cavern fell silent.

Mo Chen stopped what he was doing. Shen Moxin approached, her brows furrowed slightly. Su Yan and Li Wangye held their breath.

Lu Yuan looked down at the keepsake, his mind racing with fragments of memories and theoretical models.

"Nodes? And a core area?"

"Definitely." Lin Xiao nodded, then lowered his voice, a mixture of excitement and wariness flashing in his eyes. "More importantly, my trip back wasn't in vain. That old guy in the family who guards the ancient book archive, he's a heavy drinker, and I got him drunk and tricked him into revealing some information."

He looked around and lowered his voice even further.

"He said that the true core of the ' Land of Lightning Strikes ' contains an ancient ritual or environment capable of tempering Martial Soul and purifying the Origin Soul Power. However, it is extremely dangerous, and only those with top-tier lightning-attribute Martial Soul and unwavering willpower can enter; those who do go in face a nine-out-of-ten chance of death." Lin Xiao's speech quickened. "He also muttered that in the past few hundred years, his family has clearly produced several lightning-attribute geniuses who met the requirements, but none of them have been able to truly open it. It might be related to the incomplete ' Key,' or it might be related to the 'dormant earth veins.'"

He looked at Lu Yuan, his amber vertical pupils contracting in the dim light.

"The groove on the stone platform fits perfectly with this token. The Soul Power there is chaotic beyond belief... We might have stumbled upon incredible luck," Lin Xiao said, emphasizing each word. "Or perhaps, we've stepped into a colossal pit."

Lu Yuan didn't speak immediately. His fingertips tapped the edge of the token.

Tempering Martial Soul? Purifying the Origin Soul Power? If true, it means a strengthening path that surpasses current understanding. But the danger is enormous, and the family is deliberately concealing it.

"What is your family's attitude towards this ' Land of Lightning Strikes '?"

"I can't say for sure." Lin Xiao curled his lip, his usual disdain flashing across his face. "I feel like those old guys themselves don't understand it. Some records seem to be searching, while others seem to be warning future generations to stay away. Maybe it's because so much time has passed, and the truth has long been lost. But..."

He suddenly smiled, a smile with a hint of wildness.

"Before I left, I adjusted some of the circulation routes according to the ' Soul Power Map ' you taught me. By the way," he flexed his wrist, his Soul Power surging slightly, a noticeably more condensed and restrained aura spreading out, then quickly receding, "I replaced that trash Soul Ring that my family insisted I absorb."

Shen Moxin's eyes widened slightly behind her glasses. Mo Chen raised an eyebrow and muttered softly. Su Yan and Li Wangye held their breath—they had an instinctive sense of the difference in Soul Power levels.

Lu Yuan nodded, sensing the lingering trace of Soul Power.

"Soul Ancestor."

"Hmm." Lin Xiao withdrew his hand, his imposing aura vanished, and he returned to his carefree self, only now there was something different in the depths of his eyes. "I feel much better now. My Soul Power is flowing smoothly, and my explosive power has increased by at least 30%. That roundabout route you took was quite interesting."

He looked at Lu Yuan, his nonchalant attitude vanishing, replaced by a serious tone.

"So, what do you think of this token, and that ' Land of Lightning Strikes '? That's all I've found out. Whether it's a trap or an opportunity, nobody can say for sure right now."

Lu Yuan held the token in his palm. The cool metallic sensation seeped through his skin.

Refining one's Martial Soul and purifying one 'Origin is of immeasurable value. However, the family is concealing it, the records are vague, and there are numerous dangers... plus the implication that the "Key" is incomplete.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the faces in the cavern. Shen Moxin's meticulousness, Mo Chen's obsession, the budding flames in Su Yan and Li Wangye's eyes, his father's silent support, and Lin Xiao's trust imbued with an adventurous spirit.

"We don't have enough information yet," Lu Yuan finally spoke, his voice steady, "But we have a direction."

He carefully put the keepsake away.

"Whether it's a pitfall or an opportunity, you need sufficient strength and preparation before you can even begin to explore." He looked at Lin Xiao, "You're back just in time. We're short-handed here, and even more so, we need capable fighters."

Lin Xiao grinned, revealing his canine teeth.

"I knew you were holding something in your head." He looked around. "So, what do you want to do now? Keep fiddling with this black furnace, or... is there something else 'interesting' to do?"

Before Lu Yuan could answer, Mo Chen spoke up in a muffled voice.

"What's wrong with the stove?" He glanced at Lin Xiao sideways. "Don't you like it?"

Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow, walked to the furnace, bent down to look at the flow channel, and reached out to touch the furnace wall to check its temperature.

"The skills are alright," he straightened up, "But it's a bit shabby."

Mo Chen's face darkened.

Shen Moxin, a very faint smile curving her lips. Su Yan and Li Wangye watched, both nervous and curious.

As Lu Yuan watched this scene, the tension in his heart, which had been taut due to Zhao Shi's inspection, eased slightly.

Lin Xiao's return brought not only crucial information but also immediate combat power.

More like a gust of wind, it blew into this hidden, still fragile stronghold. It carried the scents of the outside world, unsolved mysteries, and a sharp, daring spirit to confront the unknown.

The road ahead remains Mist, but now there's one more person walking beside me.

He walked toward the stone slab covered with charcoal marks.

"Let's take a look at this first," Lu Yuan said. "I have an idea for the next node of the Soul Power Diverter, which needs to be verified. Lin Xiao, how is your Soul Power control precision now?"

Lin Xiao walked over, bent down to look at the complex lines and symbols, and saw the flickering flames of Soul Power reflected in his vertical pupils.

"You'll know once you try," he said.